Unkempt Adoration
by Wotcher-Tonks
Summary: The romance of a stubborn Auror and everybody's favorite werewolf.Ten oneshots for the Ten Things challenge on Harry Potter Fanfiction challenges. Title from poem by e.e.cummings. Remus/Tonks
1. Secret Meeting

**A/N Written for the Ten Things Challenge on Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges Forum. This is the first of ten oneshots based on twenty or so prompts given. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review! Not used to writing Remus/Tonks so please, tell me what you thought!  
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**Ch.1. Secret Meeting. **

Kingsley and I briskly walked down the nondescript London street.

I had no idea where we were going and had to trot to keep up with Kingsley's large stride.

"So…tell me again where we're going?"

Of course, Kingsley hadn't told me in the first place, but it was worth a try.

"You'll see," he said shortly, suddenly coming to a stop.

We were in a dismal looking neighborhood in a street called Grimmauld Place.

Kingsley had stopped right between numbers eleven and thirteen.

There was no twelve.

"What's up with-"

"Read this."

He handed me a scrap of parchment, and I rolled my eyes before reading it.

_The Headquarters of The Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place._

"But there is no number twelve!" I shouted.

I was pretty fed up with the secrecy and Kingsley's mysterious statements about our evening outing.

A grating noise interrupted my furious thoughts.

A house was appearing, thrusting itself between numbers eleven and thirteen. The other houses showed no sign of being disturbed by the shifting, growing house.

"So there's Number Twelve," I said smoothly, then set the parchment aflame.

OOOOO

We were inside the house, and I now understood the secrecy. Kingsley was introducing me to the members of the Order.

There had been a bit of embarrassment when I Stunned Sirius Black, but when he was revived, he assured me that there was no harm done, and praised me for my quick reflexes.

I was still smiling sheepishly until Emmeline Vance leaned in and whispered, "I've been wanting to do that myself. Escaped convicts aren't very good at being boyfriends."

She winked, and I concealed my shock hastily. _This_ was a story that I would definitely ask her about later.

Of course, this and all other thoughts flew out of my head when I met him.

Remus Lupin.

"W-Wotcher," I stammered, thrusting out my hand. I felt very shy all of a sudden.

"Hello, Wotcher. I'm Remus Lupin," he said in a hoarse but gentle voice. He was smiling, and there was a glint of mischief in his light blue eyes as he teased me.

"I-I'm Tonks."

He raised an eyebrow. He was pale and exhausted looking, and his light brown hair had many threads of silver weaving through it.

"Just Tonks?"

Why was I so bloody nervous?

"Well…" I couldn't decide whether to tell him my name or not. It didn't help that he was still smiling.

"My first name's Nymphadora."

He nodded and said, "I see. So, Tonks, is it?"

I nodded, speechless and somehow managed to flash a grateful grin at him.

"A pleasure to meet you." Why was he bothering to talk to someone so idiotic? Why wouldn't he stop smiling that devastating smile at me?

I mumbled something, and I could feel my face growing crimson.

I screwed up my eyes and willed it back to its normal ivory.

"A Metamorphmagus," he said curiously.

"Yes," I replied, oh so eloquently.

"The meeting's about to begin, Tonks," Kingsley announced, sweeping past us to another room.

Remus and I both jumped, spell broken.

"I'll-I'll just go in then," I muttered lamely, and went out the door Kingsley had gone through, whacking my hip on the doorframe

I sat with Kingsley and my mentor, Mad-Eye, and while I listened to Dumbledore speak about the aims of the Order, I couldn't resist sneaking glances at Remus Lupin.


	2. Moonlight

**Chapter Two: Moonlight**

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It was now two weeks later, and Remus and I were sitting in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place, having cups of hot chocolate, despite the fact that it was summer.

We were chatting about something, I can't even remember what, when he put his mug down and looked at me very seriously.

"Tonks," he began, and I guessed what was coming.

"This…this has been so nice these past two weeks, and I've really appreciated your…company. But I have to tell you something." He squared his shoulders and sighed as though he were trying to steel himself to say something.

"I'm a werewolf," he finally said, his eyes shut. He obviously expected me to throw the mug at him, or attempt to impale him with one of the ornately carved silver spoons nearby.

After a minute, he opened his eyes, obviously puzzled as to why I hadn't reacted.

I was in shock, though not for the reason he assumed.

"Wow," I said calmly.

"Yes?" He sounded nervous.

"Sirius told me that you were self-putting-down-person he'd ever met, but I thought he was exaggerating."

A flicker of surprise spread over his tired face, but he quickly replaced it with a blank, enigmatic mask.

"Sirius never did have the best vocabulary," he cracked, but the light of humor in his eyes died when he saw that I was glaring at him.

"I'll make sure I tell him you said that," I snapped, and rose to go. Why couldn't he understand?

"Wait, Nym-Tonks," -he caught himself- "At least tell me why you're angry," he pleaded, placing a hand on my arm.

We felt it right away, that spark when you touch someone you're immensely attracted to. We both glanced down at his hand on my arm, and I blushed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that he was blushing a little too, placing some well-needed color into that drawn face.

"Fine." Why was I so angry? Why did I feel this colossal need to make this man understand?

"Sirius told me about a week ago," I began.

I could see it in his eyes as he calculated, tallying up the already numerous times we'd chatted and laughed since then. He was obviously astonished by the fact that I chose to associate with him.

" And I was a little freaked out at first, I'll admit, but that only lasted for about-"- I pretended to count on my fingers- "-five minutes."

"I don't care if you're a werewolf. I don't care if you change into a bloody trash bin every month, you're still you. And that's all that matters. You're you, and I'm me, and…we're fighting Voldemort."

I heard clapping coming from the doorway.

"Brava! Brava!" Sirius called.

"Oh, please shut up, Padfoot," Remus said, but he was smiling. We were still standing, and his hand was still on my arm.

"You sure were told, Moony!"

"Moony?" I inquired disbelievingly.

"Well, you know, back in our school days, the Marauders all had our own glorious nicknames. Mine was Padfoot, for obvious reasons-"-I nodded (he had shown me just days after we met) –"-and this lovely, brooding lycanthrope was named Moony, also for obvious reasons."

We all laughed, and as we stood there in the large kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, I felt as though I were on the brink of something very, very special.

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**Do you think I got Sirius down? One of my first times writing him...:D**


	3. Pain

**A/N: More Sirius goodness. Please review. **

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**Chapter Three-Pain**

I headed to Grimmauld Place once more, feeling rather pleased with myself. Today at work, I had managed to nab one of our most pesky, elusive criminals. Everyone had smiled at me, Kingsley had said, "Well done, Tonks," and Mad-Eye had patted me on the shoulder awkwardly, saying gruffly, "That's my girl."

That was high praise from my notoriously exacting mentor, and I was still beaming when I arrived outside numbers eleven and thirteen.

I was just about to close my eyes and will the house to appear when I was stopped.

"Wait."

I whipped my wand out instantly and spun around, ready to defend myself.

Sirius stood up from the bench where he had been sitting, his haggard face illuminated by the strong moonlight.

Holding his hands up in the air, he said calmly, "Now, no need to Stun me. Once was quite enough, thank you."

I relaxed and was pointing my wand away when I remembered what Mad-Eye had drilled into my head for years. _Constant Vigilance!_

I pointed my wand at his heart once more.

"What color was my hair when I first met you?"

"I seem to recall it being a curious shade of blue."

Now I relaxed, putting my wand in my back pocket.

"Come. Sit and chat a bit."

"Okay," I said hesitantly.

I walked over to his bench, and sat cautiously next to him.

The moonlight bathed my face, and I tilted my chin up to soak it in. I always did like moonlight.

"Now, I know you're eager to go inside and flirt outrageously with Moony," Sirius began.

Feeling my face go red, I said, "We're not-"

"-Save it." Sirius interrupted, holding up his hand.

I shut my mouth and waited for the rest.

"But you seem to be forgetting something in your haste."

With the hand that was in the air, he pointed up at the sky.

"That glowing orb up there."

I looked where he was pointing. The moon was completely full, and shining brightly.

"Oh."

"Exactly."

We sat there in silence for a moment, and I broke it, asking-

"Does-does it hurt him?" I knew I sounded a bit too concerned for a "friend", but I didn't care.

"Used to. You've seen his scars, right? Dumbledore had him hole up in an abandoned building when he was at Hogwarts, but before he had us Marauders, and before Hogwarts, he was isolated, and would attack himself."

I winced, and turned a thought over in my head.

"The Shrieking Shack?"

"Very good. They don't just let anybody be an Auror, " he said, sounding pleased.

"Anyways, it was very painful until us Marauders were able to help calm him during his transformations. See, we became Animagi-"

"Awesome," I breathed.

"Yes. Very awesome. So us being there would calm him down a bit, but once we were…incapacitated, it became painful for him again, at least until the invention a couple years ago of-"

"Wolfsbane Potion," I finished for him.

"Right. For some reason, Snivellus has been making it for him, and so he just sleeps through the full-moon nights as a harmless wolf. But the transformation itself is still quite painful, and that's why he looks rather ill around then. To answer your question, yes, but not half as much pain as it used to be, thank God."

"So, can I go see him?"

"No. The Wolfsbane potion is still relatively new and it's not infallible. It doesn't matter how much you don't care about the risk, because Remus would never be able to forgive himself if he hurt you."

"I see."

"He really likes you, you know. I honestly don't think he's ever found someone he felt about as strongly as you."

I looked down at my orange trainers, mortified but inwardly rejoicing.

"I know you can help him. But-"

He reached over and turned my head gently so that I was looking at him.

"I want you to know what you're getting into."

"I don't care-"

"-Yes, I know. And that is why you're good for him. But first you need to know,"

"Moony is the most noble, self-sacrificing git I have ever had the dubious fortune of meeting. Ever. You're in for a long battle, despite the fact that you've already won. He'll tell you that he's too old, too poor, too dangerous, and lots of dung like that. But you can't give up on him-if you persist he will realize that his excuses are nothing. Because, let me tell you- my best friend needs this. He needs you. So don't give up. And, I'm only telling you this because, unless I'm reading this wrong, you feel the same. Is that right?"

I nodded, too shocked at Sirius' speech to speak.

"Are you sure? I need to know if you're in this for the long haul, or if it's just a passing fancy."

"I-I'm sure. I…I love him." _Where did that come from?_ Somewhere deep inside, and I knew it was true, absolutely true.

"I thought as much," said Sirius smugly. "Now, I've got work to do. Glad we could talk."

Abruptly, he stood up and strode into the appearing house. I was frozen to the bench, my mind racing with my new-found conviction.

_I, Tonks, am in love with Remus Lupin._

It would be a long fight. I'd already observed some of Remus' martyr-like tendencies.

But…Faint heart never won fair lady, right?


	4. Good Punch

**Yes, I know this is much shorter than the others, but it is just right for the story. Thanks! And reviewers have their choice of a playful Sirius, or a concerned, romantic Remus...**

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Chapter Four: Good Punch

Sirius Black whistled a little tune as he stepped inside his childhood home, not perturbed in the least by the fact that a young Auror was sitting nearby, dumbfounded.

Stomping his way up to a bedroom, he yelled, "I'm back, Moony!"

He burst the door open. Remus was curled up on the floor, his tawny fur speckled with gray.

"I know somebody who fancies you!" He sang annoyingly.

Remus rolled his eyes the best he could, not daring to hope.

"Who, Moony?" Sirius asked, playing dumb. "I'll give you three guesses." And without pausing, he continued-

"One, my cousin, Two, my cousin…and three, TONKS!"

Remus groaned inwardly. Bad enough that he was infatuated with her, much worse that she returned the feeling. Much, much worse. He was too old for her, too poor for her, and certainly too dangerous for her.

"Too old, too poor, too dangerous, "Sirius mocked, and Remus started. How did he know? But then he sighed a little. Sirius knew Remus better than Remus knew himself.

"You know what I have to say to that, Remus?"

Remus knew what was coming- Remus knew Sirius better than Sirius knew himself.

"Bollocks, bollocks, and bollocks!"

Remus whimpered a little. Why couldn't Sirius understand? Nymphadora's safety was the most important thing to him in the world.

"But what about her happiness?" Sirius inquired softly.

_Touché_.

Stupid, all knowing, best mates.


	5. Bandages

"Wotcher, Remus!" Tonks said, much too cheerful for the early hour.

He smelled coffee. She placed the mug on his bedside table, where the fumes drifted into his groggy nose.

He then remembered that he was naked. That woke him up. Unfortunately, he couldn't transform with clothes on, unless he wanted shredded fabric in lieu of actual clothing. He thanked God that he was under the covers.

Face burning, he opened his eyes.

Tonks was standing at his bed, looking wholly amused. Her hair was spiked, short, and midnight blue, a color that looked lovely with her pale skin and dark eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, then immediately felt stupid. _Way to be rude, Remus._

To her credit, she just smiled that bewitching smile and said, "I'm here to help. Sirius said that the morning after a transformation is like a nasty hangover, so I'm here to nurse you back to health!"

"Sirius says a lot of things," Remus mumbled. Sirius' blunt pronouncements last night were still fresh in his mind.

_I know somebody who fancies you!_

"True," Tonks said thoughtfully, and he _knew_ Sirius had talked with her last night. Bloody hell! It was like they were silly first years, not responsible adults!

He clenched his fist, frustrated. He gasped in pain.

Even though the Wolfsbane potion calmed him down in the initial moments of transformation, there were some occasional...lapses.

Remus pulled his hand out from under the blanket. There was a long gash on his right hand, from right in-between two of his fingers down to his wrist. It had cracked when he had made a fist.

Tonks whistled appreciatively. "As a connoisseur of injuries, I'd have to say that looks bloody painful."

"It is," Remus agreed, for the gash was right along a thick vein. At least he was no stranger to pain.

Their eyes met, and they looked at each other, simply looked.

Her dark brown eyes sparkled with life, and there was a bit of pity, but not the irritating kind. This was more understanding.

Seconds or minutes or hours passed, and Tonks broke the gaze, digging in her robe pocket. With a cry of triumph, she produced a small tube, and a roll of bandages. Before he could say anything, she had pulled up a chair next to his bed and grabbed his hand.

Remus felt his stomach flip over. Dare he hope?

She opened the tube. "This will seal it up in no time. I've had to use it many times, and it's the best."

Oh. He felt like like an idiot. Of course she wasn't holding his hand...like _that. _

She held it gently in her slim, cool fingers. Lightly, she cleaned off the blood, tenderly, so that he didn't feel any pain. Delicately, she smoothed the ointment over his cut. Her fingers danced over his wound, and she never broke eye contact as the wound sealed. Then her hand was gone, and he felt dismayed.

Tonks unrolled a length of bandage, cut it off, and gently wrapped it around his hand. This time, she didn't look at him, but at his hand so she could wrap the bandage. Remus admired her eyelashes as she bent over his hand in concentration.

Suddenly, she looked up, as though she had felt his keen stare. He flushed a little, and she smiled. She had sealed the bandage, but she left her hands resting on his.

"Thank you," he managed.

"It was nothing," she said. "I was on my way to work and thought I'd stop by for a bit."

But she made no move to leave.

After a long moment, Tonks stood up. She stared intently at him ,then, looking as though she had decided on somethin, lifted his bandaged hand with her hands, which were still holding it.

She met his eyes, raised his hand to her face, and kissed the unbandaged part of his hand. Then she laid his hand gently on the bed, turned, and left before Remus could say anything.

He couldn't. He was speechless.

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End file.
